Cif green + Marine life | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green+environment/marine-life
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We need to eat less fish – not more sustainable fish | Aniol Estebanhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/28/sustainable-fish
Simply encouraging people to be more adventurous with new species will not ease the pressure on fish stocks<br /><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/17/sustainable-seafood-supermarkets-fish-fight">Sales of sustainable seafood soar in UK supermarkets</a><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/14/hugh-fish-fight">What constitutes victory for Hugh's Fish Fight?</a><p>Getting people excited about fish isn't exactly easy. But somehow Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Channel 4 have managed to do it, bringing a new level of public scrutiny to the plight of fish stocks. <a href="http://www.fishfight.net/" title="Hughs Fish Fight campaign">Hugh's Fish Fight campaign</a> already has more than 600,000 signatures, and now has big retailers promising to change their labelling and sourcing policies. They deserve congratulations and support.</p><p>There is, however, a lingering concern about their proposed solutions. Simply encouraging British people to be more adventurous and try new species such as gurnard, coley or dab will not automatically ease pressure on stocks most at risk. On the contrary, it could result in an increase of total amount of fish eaten. It may be happening already: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/17/sustainable-seafood-supermarkets-fish-fight" title="last week Marks Spencer and Waitrose reported a total increase in fish sales of 25% and 15%">last week, Marks &amp; Spencer and Waitrose reported increases in fish sales of 25% and 15%</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/28/sustainable-fish">Continue reading...</a>FishingMarine lifeEthical and green livingFoodWildlifeConservationEnvironmentFishFood & drinkLife and styleFri, 28 Jan 2011 12:10:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/jan/28/sustainable-fishPhotograph: Jeffrey L Rotman/CorbisCod fishermen work a trawler in the North Sea. Photograph: Jeffrey L Rotman/CorbisPhotograph: Jeffrey L Rotman/CorbisCod fishermen work a trawler in the North Sea. Photograph: Jeffrey L Rotman/CorbisAniol Esteban2011-01-28T12:10:29ZFighting the Alaskan wilderness mine | Bobby Andrew and George Wilson Jrhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/oct/29/anglo-american-alaskan-bristol-bay
Anglo American promised it would not touch the pristine habitat of Bristol Bay without our blessing. It must honour its word<p>Among our Alaskan native tribes, a promise made is a promise kept. Such promises over the generations have kept our populations of wild sockeye salmon, which sustain our culture and feed our families, plentiful and healthy. And last year, Cynthia Carroll, chief executive of London-based mining giant <a href="http://www.angloamerican.com/" title="Anglo American website">Anglo American PLC</a>, made a promise.</p><p>In a private meeting with Alaskans in London (including one of this piece's authors), Carroll promised her company would not build its proposed Pebble mine if local residents didn't support it. She echoed that promise in an <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/130/mine-field.html?page=0,1" title="Fast Company: 'Anglo Americans Bristol Bay Controversy: Wildlife vs. Mineral Riches'">interview</a> with Fast Company magazine: "I will not go where people don't want us. I just won't." It's time for her to keep her promise and to uphold the principles she says Anglo American exemplifies and practises.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/oct/29/anglo-american-alaskan-bristol-bay">Continue reading...</a>BusinessAnglo AmericanMiningAlaskaWorld newsMiningEnvironmentWildlifeMarine lifeEndangered habitatsFishingFri, 29 Oct 2010 16:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/oct/29/anglo-american-alaskan-bristol-bayPhotograph: Lucas Jackson/REUTERSThousands of pink salmon swimming upstream in an Alaskan river. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/ReutersPhotograph: Lucas Jackson/REUTERSThousands of pink salmon swimming upstream in an Alaskan river. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/ReutersBobby Andrew and George Wilson Jr2010-10-29T16:00:00ZEgypt must go green to save Red Sea | Joseph Maytonhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/oct/14/egypt-red-sea-pollution
The Red Sea's ecosystem is under threat from pollution and Egyptians refusing to accept there is an environmental problem<p>The Red Sea is facing a crisis that could see much of its wonderful marine life cease to exist. Continued polluting of the water, constant <a href="http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/06/red-sea-oil-spill/">oil spillage from offshore rigs</a> and a lack of awareness in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/egypt">Egypt</a> and around the region about the importance of maintaining vital ecosystems all contribute to the threat.</p><p>No longer is the Red Sea a pristine location to witness the spectacle of <a href="http://kenanaonline.com/users/drBarrania/posts/119025">marine life and coral reefs</a>. One of the main causes is the constant pouring of waste from hotels along the coastal areas, but the tourism industry more generally has done further harm by pumping chemicals and other waste products into the sea. Resolving these problems is proving extremely difficult.</p><p>The major threats to the marine environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are related to land-based activities. These include urbanisation and coastal development (for example, dredge and fill operations), industries including power and desalination plants and refineries, recreation and tourism, waste water treatment facilities, power plants, coastal mining and quarrying activities, oil bunkering and habitat modification such as the filling and conversion of wetlands.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/oct/14/egypt-red-sea-pollution">Continue reading...</a>EgyptMiddle East and North AfricaOil spillsPollutionMarine lifeWildlifeCoralEnvironmentWorld newsAfricaThu, 14 Oct 2010 09:10:28 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/oct/14/egypt-red-sea-pollutionPhotograph: HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty ImagesCoral reefs in the Red Sea are under threat from oil spills and plastic waste. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: HASSAN AMMAR/AFP/Getty ImagesCoral reefs in the Red Sea are under threat from oil spills and plastic waste. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty ImagesJoseph Mayton2010-10-14T09:10:28ZFish: the forgotten victims on our plate | Peter Singerhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/sep/14/fish-forgotten-victims
There is no humane slaughter requirement for the staggering number of wild fish caught and killed at sea<p>When I was a child, my father used to take me for walks, often along a river or by the sea. We would pass people fishing, perhaps reeling in their lines with struggling fish hooked at the end of them. Once I saw a man take a small fish out of a bucket and impale it, still wriggling, on an empty hook to use as bait.</p><p>Another time, when our path took us by a tranquil stream, I saw a man sitting and watching his line, seemingly at peace with the world, while next to him, fish he had already caught were flapping helplessly and gasping in the air. My father told me that he could not understand how anyone could enjoy an afternoon spent taking fish out of the water and letting them die slowly.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/sep/14/fish-forgotten-victims">Continue reading...</a>Animal welfareAnimalsWorld newsFishingWildlifeMarine lifeEnvironmentEthicsTue, 14 Sep 2010 08:01:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/sep/14/fish-forgotten-victimsPhotograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesA haddock caught in the nets of a Scottish trawler. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesA haddock caught in the nets of a Scottish trawler. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesPeter Singer2010-09-14T08:01:20ZWhy the case for GM salmon is still hard to stomach | Robin McKiehttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/aug/27/gm-fish-meat-environment
Proponents of GM promise bigger cuts of meat, more efficient farming and animals less prone to disease, but is it an unnecessary abuse of nature?<br /><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/25/gm-salmon-us-fda-consultation" title="GM salmon may go on sale in US after public consultation">GM salmon may go on sale in US after public consultation</a><p>The bid by the US Federal Drug Administration <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/aug/25/gm-salmon-us-fda-consultation" title="to approve the first GM animal - a modified salmon - for human consumption">to approve the first genetically modified animal – a modified salmon – for human consumption</a> will certainly not be an isolated addition to our cuisine. A host of domestic animals, including several other species of fish, have also been genetically altered by scientists – mostly to improve growth rates – and will be considered for approval for sale to the public in the near future.</p><p>Thus the GM salmon is a mere starter in the culinary revolution with other seafood examples being provided by transgenic trout, carp and tilapia which may one day be sold in shops, subject to approval. Consider the tilapia. A modified version has been developed so that it can digest protein more efficiently. The result is a giant fish that can grow up to five times the size of a non-transgenic tilapia.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/aug/27/gm-fish-meat-environment">Continue reading...</a>GMFishingFarmingScienceEnvironmentAnimalsFoodConservationWildlifeMarine lifeBiologyFri, 27 Aug 2010 15:32:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/aug/27/gm-fish-meat-environmentPhotograph: Elaine Thompson)/APWill genetically modified salmon soon find its way on to your plate? Photograph: Elaine Thompson/APPhotograph: Elaine Thompson)/APWill genetically modified salmon soon find its way on to your plate? Photograph: Elaine Thompson/APRobin McKie2010-08-27T15:32:12ZA deadly addiction: figures confirm BP well blowout is history's biggest accidental marine spill | Damian Carringtonhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/aug/03/bp-spill-biggest-history
Faced by the scale of this human, economic and ecological catastrophe, can the US – and the rest of the world – begin to wean itself off oil?<p>We thought it was big, but now we know it is huge – the greatest accidental marine oil spill in all history. The latest calculations of the vast quantity of oil polluting the Gulf of Mexico after the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bp-oil-spill" title="">blowout of BP's Macondo well</a> conclude that <a href="http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/840475/" title="">4.9m barrels poured into the ocean</a>. The scientists making the estimate believe it is accurate to within 10%, so even the smallest leak would be a third bigger than the 3.3m barrels released into Mexico's Bay of Campeche when the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/may/04/deepwater-oil-disaster-ixtoc" title="">Ixtoc I oil rig blew out in 1979</a>. The largest ever was the 11m barrels deliberately spilled by retreating Iraqi troops in 1991.</p><p>At its peak, the Macondo well was spewing out 62,000 barrels a day and declined a little to 53,000 by the end, as the reservoir became exhausted by 87 days of venting. The figures make a mockery of the initial estimates – 1,000 barrels a day – rising to 5,000, then 12,000-19,000 and beyond. But we can finally have some confidence in the numbers: the well is capped and the pressure readings now possible give a strong steer on the previous flow rates.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/aug/03/bp-spill-biggest-history">Continue reading...</a>BP oil spillOil spillsPollutionMarine lifeOceansOilEnergyEnvironmentBPOilBusinessTue, 03 Aug 2010 15:21:36 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/aug/03/bp-spill-biggest-historyPhotograph: Charlie Riedel/APThe BP oil spill is the biggest in history, figures show. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/APPhotograph: Charlie Riedel/APThe BP oil spill is the biggest in history, figures show. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/APDamian Carrington2010-08-03T15:21:36ZThe oil spill is under control – now it's time to count the ecological costhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/16/bp-deepwater-horizon-environmental-cost
The US can count itself ecologically lucky that the Deepwater disaster took place in the Gulf – but the long-term damage will amount to much more than dead birds and soiled beaches<p>When BP's chief executive, Tony Hayward, said in May that the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bp-oil-spill" title="">Gulf oil spill</a> was a drop in the ocean – "<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/may/13/bp-boss-admits-mistakes-gulf-oil-spill" title="">tiny in relation to the total water volume</a>", he was pilloried by Barack Obama and the US press, but he was technically correct.</p><p>In the 85 days of the leak, the worst oil disaster in history, nearly 184m gallons of crude oil is estimated to have gushed into the Gulf of Mexico, the ninth largest body of water in the world. That is a lot, but no more than Americans burn every five hours and 10 minutes. Indeed, in the 24 hours since BP temporarily capped the Deepwater blowout, Americans have used over 840m gallons in their cars, planes, kitchens and factories which will have soiled the air, land and sea.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/16/bp-deepwater-horizon-environmental-cost">Continue reading...</a>BP oil spillMarine lifeOilPollutionFishingEnvironmentWorld newsUS newsOilBPOil and gas companiesBusinessFri, 16 Jul 2010 16:09:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/16/bp-deepwater-horizon-environmental-costPhotograph: Dave MartinBP is hoping it has finally brought America's worst oil spill under control. Photograph: Dave MartinPhotograph: Dave MartinBP is hoping it has finally brought America's worst oil spill under control. Photograph: Dave MartinJohn Vidal2010-07-16T16:09:03ZWhen it comes to conservation, common names count | George C McGavinhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/jun/25/conservation-species-common-names
Latin classification can be cold and clinical - it's much easier to care about a species that has a romantic and memorable name<p>We survive in the complex world around us by being able to put things into groups or categories based on our experience. Novel things are compared to our internal database and a decision is then made on what it is likely to be. Early humans would have had a simple system of classification, probably related to what species were likely to be deadly, dangerous or delicious.</p><p>It has been suggested that taxonomy is an even older science than mathematics – after all, you need to know what you are counting before you can count it. And indeed the first book of the Old Testament, <a href="http://bible.cc/genesis/2-19.htm" title="">Genesis 2:19</a>, suggests the same:</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/jun/25/conservation-species-common-names">Continue reading...</a>BiodiversityWildlifeConservationEndangered speciesMarine lifeInsectsEnvironmentTaxonomyPlantsZoologyScienceUK newsFri, 25 Jun 2010 08:00:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/jun/25/conservation-species-common-namesPhotograph: Dennis Kunkel Microscopy/CorbisWhat's in a name? Even the bed bug sounds just a little cosier than <i>Cimex lectularius</i>. Illustration: Dennis Kunkel Microscopy/CorbisPhotograph: Dennis Kunkel Microscopy/CorbisWhat's in a name? Even the bed bug sounds just a little cosier than <i>Cimex lectularius</i>. Illustration: Dennis Kunkel Microscopy/CorbisGeorge C McGavin2010-06-25T08:00:17ZResponse: The term 'overfished' can be confusing – and there is no shortage of codhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/jun/04/fish-stocks-no-shortage-cod
While a number of our stocks are in trouble, some are in a very healthy state<p>Your article covered a recent Which? report on consumers' views on purchasing sustainable seafood, but some of the content lifted from that report oversimplified the subject (<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/may/24/sustainable-fish-seafood-supermarkets-labels" title="">Britons want to buy sustainable fish but labels leave us baffled</a>, 24 May).</p><p>It is wrong to say that "in European waters nearly 90% of fish stocks are overfished". The term "overfished" can be confusing, and the latest report from Europe shows that we are becoming more effective at managing our fish. While a number of our stocks are in trouble, some are in a very healthy state: of the 40-odd assessed, 28 (70%) are "overfished"; but many of these are simultaneously "within safe biological limits". So overfishing can be a transient status, changing year on year, depending on how many young fish enter the fishery. We do have many problems, but we have also developed many solutions that are rapidly taking effect.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/jun/04/fish-stocks-no-shortage-cod">Continue reading...</a>FishingMarine lifeFoodEthical and green livingEnvironmentEthical businessBusinessFood & drinkLife and styleConsumer magazinesMediaThu, 03 Jun 2010 23:05:31 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/jun/04/fish-stocks-no-shortage-codPhilip MacMullen2010-06-03T23:05:31ZResponse: Chagossians would be the best custodians of their unique islandshttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/apr/16/chagos-islands-marine-protected-area
Conservation and human rights are indivisible – so let the Chagossians go home and fish<p>Your report on the proposed marine protected area for the Chagos archipelago implied that the establishment of such a zone would be at odds with the aspirations of Chagossians to return to their homeland (<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/mar/29/chagos-island-marine-reserve-plans" title="">Good news for the warty sea slug is devastating for Chagos islanders</a>, 30 March). It is not.</p><p>It was a splendid idea to create an MPA around the Chagos and provide a green legacy for the prime minister. It demonstrates the government's determination to conserve the unique marine environment of this British overseas territory. How sad that the same concern could not have been shown towards the people who used to live there. To ignore this human dimension, as the foreign secretary's statement announcing the MPA did, supports the suggestion of Clive Stafford Smith, quoted in your article, that "no Chagossian has anything like equal rights with even the warty sea slug".</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/apr/16/chagos-islands-marine-protected-area">Continue reading...</a>Marine lifeConservationOceansFishingEndangered habitatsEndangered speciesWildlifeUK newsWorld newsBiodiversityScienceMauritiusEnvironmentAfricaThu, 15 Apr 2010 23:05:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/apr/16/chagos-islands-marine-protected-areaDavid Snoxell2010-04-15T23:05:09ZFishing in troubled waters | Sylvia Earle and Susan Liebermanhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/12/fishing-extinction
Fish populations once thought to be inexhaustible now face the prospect of extinction if policy changes are not made soon<p>It has been said that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, though if you teach a man to fish you feed him for life. But times have changed. Now we know that only if you save species of fish from overexploitation will there be hope of providing food for a lifetime, let alone for generations that follow. </p><p>Fish and other sea creatures historically valued solely as commodities are critically important to healthy ocean ecosystems, which in turn provide benefits to humankind. Yet the ocean is in deep trouble. Fish populations once thought to be inexhaustible now face the prospect of becoming extinct for any commercial purpose – and even completely disappearing – if policy changes are not made soon. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/12/fishing-extinction">Continue reading...</a>FishingFoodEndangered speciesEnvironmentMarine lifeFishSun, 14 Mar 2010 10:00:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/12/fishing-extinctionPhotograph: Norbert Wu/Corbis/Sceince FactionA diver films a school of giant bluefin tuna. Photograph: Norbert Wu/Corbis/Science FactionPhotograph: Norbert Wu/Corbis/Sceince FactionA diver films a school of giant bluefin tuna. Photograph: Norbert Wu/Corbis/Science FactionSylvia Earle and Susan Lieberman2010-03-14T10:00:01ZCanada's seal debate, dead in the water | Colin Horganhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/09/canada-seal-cull-meat-parliament
Seal meat at the parliamentary restaurant has angered anti-cull activists, but the debate needs to move beyond sloganeering<p>In a move that seems almost designed to raise the hackles of animal rights activists, the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/08/sealmeat-canada-ottawa">Canadian parliamentary restaurant has begun to offer seal meat</a> as part of the menu. The decision is a not-so-subtle snub at the EU, which last year put an end to seal imports from Canada, due to the allegedly inhumane way that harp seals are killed each spring.</p><p>As the hunting of seals, and the protests against it, continue, the headway being made by either side of the debate seems to have come to rest. It looks like there are no grounds for compromise, and thus to the general population, it has been debased to simple sloganeering. That needs to change.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/09/canada-seal-cull-meat-parliament">Continue reading...</a>CanadaAnimal welfareMarine lifeThe meat industryEnvironmentWorld newsAmericasTue, 09 Mar 2010 18:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/09/canada-seal-cull-meat-parliamentPhotograph: China Daily/ReutersSpotted seals. Canadian authorities say seal hunting provides valuable income for isolated communities. Photograph: China Daily/ReutersPhotograph: China Daily/ReutersSpotted seals. Canadian authorities say seal hunting provides valuable income for isolated communities. Photograph: China Daily/ReutersColin Horgan2010-03-09T18:00:00ZChagos is our chance to preserve a natural wonder | Tony Juniperhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/jan/27/chagos-preserve-natural-wonder
Protecting the Chagos archipelago is a rare opportunity for the UK to create a conservation area as important as the Galapagos islands or Great Barrier Reef<p>In 1995 the British government published a new biodiversity strategy that was, in many ways, a world-leading document. It set out how the UK would implement the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed three years previously at the Rio de Janeiro Earth summit - not just here in the UK, but also in the few remaining dependent territories, such as Gibraltar and the British Virgin Islands. One thing I quickly noticed was how the greatest area of British overseas territory was missing – the British Indian Ocean Territory.</p><p>The vast area covered by this little-known dependency is centred on the <a href="http://protectchagos.org/wp-content/uploads/Chagos_map.pdf" title="Chagos archipelago (pdf)">Chagos archipelago (pdf)</a> – a group of 55 islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, about 300 miles south of the Maldives. After a few enquiries I found the likely reason why there were no official commitments to conserve the incredible wildlife habitats there, including some of the world's most outstanding coral reefs.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/jan/27/chagos-preserve-natural-wonder">Continue reading...</a>Chagos IslandsMarine lifeCoralConservationOceansFishingEndangered habitatsEndangered speciesWildlifeEnvironmentUK newsWorld newsBiodiversityScienceWed, 27 Jan 2010 00:05:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/jan/27/chagos-preserve-natural-wonderPhotograph: Zoological Society of LondonThe Chagos islands are home to over 200 coral species and at least 1,000 fish species. Photograph: Zoological Society of LondonPhotograph: Zoological Society of LondonThe Chagos islands are home to over 200 coral species and at least 1,000 fish species. Photograph: Zoological Society of LondonTony Juniper2010-01-27T00:05:15ZScottish bill threatens pregnant seals | Terry Nutkinshttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/nov/30/scottish-marine-bill-pregnant-seals
A new marine bill allows for the shooting of seals during breeding season. This callous policy would damage Scotland's reputation<p>I have spent all my life living close to the sea. I am extremely lucky to be able to see seals and many other marine mammals on a regular basis.</p><p>Seals are fascinating creatures – beautiful and intelligent. Here in the UK we are privileged to have internationally important populations of both grey and harbour seals. About 90% of these seals are in Scottish waters, so their fate is determined by laws made by their guardians, the Scottish parliament and Scottish government. Yet many people are unaware that thousands of seals are shot every year around our coast. They are shot by fish farmers, commercial fishermen and anglers. Their crime for their death sentence? They eat fish.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/nov/30/scottish-marine-bill-pregnant-seals">Continue reading...</a>Marine lifeEnvironmentScotlandAnimalsAnimal welfareWorld newsScottish politicsPoliticsFishingUK newsMon, 30 Nov 2009 16:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/nov/30/scottish-marine-bill-pregnant-sealsPhotograph: Murdo Macleod/guardian.co.ukSeals are shot by fish farmers and fishermen. Photograph: Murdo MacleodPhotograph: Murdo Macleod/guardian.co.ukSeals are shot by fish farmers and fishermen. Photograph: Murdo MacleodTerry Nutkins2009-11-30T16:30:00ZThe cautionary tale of The Whale | SE Smithhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/nov/28/blue-whale-research-vessel-california
The killing of a blue whale by a research vessel off the Californian coast raises larger questions about marine protection<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bragg,_California" title="Wikipedia: Fort Bragg, California">Fort Bragg</a>, with a population of 7,000, is a ragged former timber town on the northern reaches of the California coast. It is in some ways the epitome of idealised small town America: the kind of town where any small happening is news, where the story of any event acquires a mythology almost before it happens.</p><p>When <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091105/ARTICLES/911059903?Title=Whale-removal-completed" title="Press Democrat: Whale removal completed">a blue whale was struck and killed</a> offshore by the research vessel Pacific Star and drifted into an isolated cove just south of the city limits, she quickly acquired her own story and a name, The Whale, or The Smell, as my father started calling her when the stench of decay drifted into his nearby living room. He invited me over to smell for myself, but I politely declined the 10-minute drive.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/nov/28/blue-whale-research-vessel-california">Continue reading...</a>FishingMarine lifeOceansEndangered speciesAnimalsAnimal behaviourAnimal welfareUS newsEnvironmentScienceWorld newsWhalesCetaceansSat, 28 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/nov/28/blue-whale-research-vessel-californiaPhotograph: Christopher Swann/SplashdownDirect/Rex Features/guardian.co.ukThe blue whale is an endangered species. Photograph: Christopher Swann/SplashdownDirect/Rex FeaturesPhotograph: Christopher Swann/SplashdownDirect/Rex Features/guardian.co.ukThe blue whale is an endangered species. Photograph: Christopher Swann/SplashdownDirect/Rex FeaturesSE Smith2009-11-28T12:00:00ZThe End of the Line is making waves for fish stocks recovery | Felicity Lawrencehttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2009/jun/19/end-of-the-line-fishing
Retailers are beginning to respond but we must keep up the pressure for sustainable catches<p><a href="http://endoftheline.com/" title="The End of the Line">The End of the Line</a> began life as a ground-breaking book by the environment journalist Charles Clover in 2004. It was an impassioned description of the wanton destruction being wreaked on fish stocks by industrial fishing round the world. It left me feeling both angry and despondent. Now it's been turned into a film of the same title, and it's a must-see.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2009/jun/19/end-of-the-line-fishing">Continue reading...</a>FishingOceansMarine lifeFoodSupermarketsBusinessConservationFilmFri, 19 Jun 2009 15:58:46 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2009/jun/19/end-of-the-line-fishingFelicity Lawrence2009-06-19T15:58:46ZWild side of the law | Begonia Filgueira and Ian Masonhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/may/04/climate-change-law
It may sound far-fetched, but a powerful tool to combat climate change is giving nature legal rights<p>If societies express their values through the laws they make, one single legal change would completely transform our understanding of the ­relationship between nature and humankind: giving nature rights. And that change would be our best weapon in fighting climate change because it would give nature a voice on how we regulate the earth.</p><p>The idea of "<a href="http://www.ukela.org/rte.asp?id=5" title="">wild law</a>" has been around since the 1960s, when writers questioned whether trees should have standing. But now enacting those ideas is a matter of our survival on this planet.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/may/04/climate-change-law">Continue reading...</a>Climate changeLawEnvironmentWorld newsConservationMarine lifeTrees and forestsFishingEndangered habitatsEndangered speciesSun, 03 May 2009 23:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/may/04/climate-change-lawBegonia Filgueira and Ian Mason2009-05-03T23:00:00Z